Key Takeaways:
The global beauty and wellness market is saturated with human-focused innovation, leading to an unconscious sideline of other areas. However, a quiet yet fast-growing trend is emerging from an unlikely corner—the pet care aisle. Leading this is Sunny Side Up (SSUP), a Korean-born brand that’s making waves not just for its playful branding, but also for its purpose-driven, clinically backed products that fuse pet wellness with human sensibilities, pushing the narrative that humans are not the only ones undergoing skin conditions; furry friends need some love too.
Founded by Avril Han, a former overseas sales and marketing manager in the K-beauty industry, SSUP is radically rethinking the intersection of cosmetics, technology, and pet care. With stores across California, a breakthrough Shark Tank win, and products trusted by the US military for their army dogs, SSUP is well on its way to becoming what Han calls “the sunniest company on earth for all animals.”
Sunny Side Up’s origin story is rooted in contradiction. Han’s early years in the beauty sector exposed her to a world where ingredients like horse oil and sheep placenta were commonplace especially in South Korea. “I was always an adventurous person,” she shared with BeautyMatter. “I always wanted to do the opposite of the norms sometimes, so I created a skincare ointment for animals. Why do we always have to take things from animals and create something for human skin, without also creating something for them?” she questioned.
That question catalyzed the birth of Animark, SSUP’s flagship pet skincare line—a first-aid wound care ointment for pets. “I put tons of money on clinical trials because that’s not what other animal brands were doing,” Han explained. “They wouldn’t really spend that much money on animal products because obviously [animals] don’t speak. But I thought that was the only reason to really make it safe and really efficient.”
Winning Shark Tank Korea and the Pet Care Spotlight
Sunny Side Up's credibility surged when Han won Shark Tank Korea in 2022, besting over 5,500 other applicants. “You can either get invested or you can choose to leave only with the prize money, which is $100,000,” she explained. “It’s enough money to really test the brand, spread the brand into the market. Winning Shark Tank really helps with everything—reputation and all [of] that.”
Now in its third year, the brand not only boasts clinical efficacy but also technological ambition. One of its standout developments is an AI-powered application that helps pet owners diagnose skin conditions in animals, a major pain point in at-home care. “The issue was that we have to rely on people’s [best judgement about]when to use [products], and when to visit the vet,” said Han. “So now we have animal skincare and an AI application, and we’ve been number one online in Korea,” she added.
Despite this clinical depth, SSUP has deliberately cultivated a quirky, stylish brand image that appeals to a digitally native, Gen Z-leaning audience. “People, especially Gen Zs, are online a lot. The people who purchase our product are most likely to have a tattoo, or they’re stylish in their own ways,” Han noted.
Sunny Side Up’s human-focused fragrance line, designed with pets in mind, is particularly emblematic of this. One perfume “attracts 38% of the cats worldwide because on the base note, it has a catnip scent,” Han revealed. Another, tested in US dog shelters, uses vanilla and petrolatum to calm anxious dogs. “We don’t necessarily put ourselves into a ‘pet lover zone’ because [the brand] is a very niche, stylish, posh kind of concept,” she said. Even their event booths adopt whimsical themes. “When we run a booth, it all has a Harry Potter theme—all smoky, cloudy, etc.,” Han shared. “We try to [bring something different to] this industry by adding some stories and vibes into it.”
The Global Pet Care Boom
Sunny Side Up’s rise coincides with explosive growth in the global pet care sector. According to Fortune Business Insights, the market is projected to reach $427.75 billion by 2032, driven by trends in pet humanization, wellness, and digital engagement. In the US alone, $147 billion was spent on pets in 2023, according to the American Pet Products Association.
Yet, Han cautioned that while the opportunity is massive, it’s not on par with the human cosmetics market. “People say the pet market is huge, but it’s really not that huge compared to the human cosmetic sector,” she said. “So even though these products are designed specifically for animal lovers [and their pets] , we focus on solving the real pain points.”
Still, the consumer is evolving. Post-pandemic, more people treat pets as family, and Han is betting on this shift. “People were mentally broken, and they really see them [pets] as family. So I thought our company would be an instant hit when I won the Shark Tank, but the world doesn’t flow like that. We’re still working on it,” she revealed.
Though founded in Korea, SSUP’s expansion strategy has always been global-first. “Korea is just a tiny little dot,” Han said. “The US and Japan are more mature when it comes to animals.” Launching flagship stores in California was a strategic choice. “Our biggest partner in the US is the Air Force,” she said, explaining how the brand’s skincare ointment gained traction through military working dogs. “They just love the vibe of the brand and decided to bring the brand in.”
Six out of SSUP’s eight stores are based in California, with plans for European expansion next. “I am also talking to Sephora in Europe,” Han revealed. “They were waiting for background references [from industry execs]. Now, I feel like it’s really time that I talk to them.”
While the company operates on a DTC model, it’s equally focused on wholesale. “We have a web page specifically built for B2B buyers,” said Han. “Regardless of quantity, I just want the product to find the right person and fall into the right hands.” For consumers, a global Shopify channel is launching soon. “Everything is settled … the Shopify channel will open. So we will be able to ship globally.”
Building Buzz Without Bark
Marketing SSUP is a masterclass in unconventional branding. Rather than relying solely on pet influencers, SSUP uses a character named “Exie,” an egg-shell-masked alter ego played by Han herself. “We just post things about what Exie does, when Exie goes overseas, etc. It’s just a lifestyle,” she said. “A post sometimes hits up to one million views.”
This abstract branding has created curiosity-driven discovery. “With that funnel, we get at least 2% real fans that really dig into the brand,” she added. “They find out and say ‘They’re the animal skincare brand … and I’ve seen them only online.’” For retailers, SSUP uses a newsletter that goes out to nearly 800 businesses. “We’ve been sending out newsletters twice a month to 783 companies—all retailers,” she said.
Like any ambitious start-up, SSUP is navigating the tension between scale and authenticity. Raising investment is next. “We have investors lining up. So I just have to be careful on who I’m going to partner with,” Han said. All products are currently manufactured in South Korea, and despite global trade tensions, tariffs have not impacted the business. “It hasn’t penetrated into our category, thank God,” she said.
As the boundaries between pet care and lifestyle branding continue to blur, Sunny Side Up is not just creating products, but also crafting a movement, and it is one rooted in clinical credibility, K-beauty aesthetics, and a deep respect for animals as equal beneficiaries of wellness. “I set up a goal to set up an animal skincare zone in Sephora, right next to the famous derma-cosmetic brands,” said Han. “We’re on the way."
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